This disclosure relates generally to a video messaging device, and more specifically to a video messaging device having a levitating camera.
Tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, televisions, and other devices that have built-in cameras are increasingly being used as communication terminals to initiate and receive video calls. Some of these devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops are portable devices while others, such as desktop computers and televisions, are not. A portable device has the added convenience of allowing a user to initiate or receive a video call and to continue the video call while moving around by carrying the device with them. It may be desirable at times for users of portable devices to be able to use the devices in a hands-free manner (e.g., when making video calls that are long in duration or if the users are otherwise unable to hold or carry the devices during the video calls). Furthermore, video content captured by a portable device may appear shaky if the device is not supported by a stable support mechanism, such as a tripod or a stand. Such support mechanisms often include clamps, adhesives, or other components that allow portable devices to be secured to the support mechanisms.
While support mechanisms may allow users of portable devices to make video calls in a hands-free manner and allow the devices to capture more stabilized video content, they also may make it more difficult and time-consuming for users to move the devices for use in portable applications. For example, if a portable device is secured to a tripod by a clamp, a user of the device who wants to capture video content of a particular event occurring at a location outside the field of view of a camera on the device may have to first unclamp the device before moving it so that the location is within the field of view of the camera. In this example, if unclamping the device from the tripod is too difficult or time-consuming, the user may be unable to capture the desired video content before the event has ended.
To capture stabilized video content during a video call using a portable device that is easily moved for portable applications, the device may be configured to levitate. For example, suppose that an electromagnet is mounted on a portable device and that an additional electromagnet is mounted on a platform on which the portable device is resting. In this example, when activated, the electromagnets may repel each other, causing the device to levitate above the platform and allowing a camera on the device to capture stabilized video content without the need for clamps, adhesives, or other components that may prevent a user from easily moving the device.
However, levitating portable devices may have a tendency to rotate about a vertical axis, which may make it impractical for the devices to be used for making video calls. For example, suppose that the face of a user of a levitating portable device is initially within the field of view captured by a camera on the device during a video call made by the user. In this example, the device may rotate about a vertical axis during the video call, such that the user's face may no longer be within the field of view captured by the camera.